Churches

We are blessed to work with so many wonderful faith based organizations and churches in our area. It is the perfect gathering place for every community, and an effective outreach tool to those in need.

*Start a Food Pantry Garden – We currently have a production garden at Messiah United Methodist Church which was planted with help from the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council. Crops harvested from this site are donated to The House of Blessings Food Pantry.

*The 52 Challenge – Members commit to personally invite one person—friend or stranger—to church every week this year, and write the names on their personal calendar.

*Snow Day – Build dozens of snowmen on the church lawn. Decorate snow-families with creative props and signs inviting folks to church.

*Sunday Brunch-Deliver invitations to homes located near the church building inviting them to worship services and to a Sunday brunch beforehand with their neighbors (and some friendly church members).

*Pray for Leaders- Invite local government leaders to your worship service. Recognize those who are able to attend and pray for them.

*NearlyWed Seminar- Invite engaged couples to an 8-week seminar before church or during the week. Each session is a topical Bible study about marriage, with homework and handouts. At completion, couples get a certificate and promote to newlywed class.

* Mission Trip Mania- Plan several mission trips for the year—local, national, international—and challenge members to either participate personally or help sponsor another participant.

*Interactive Missions Fair- Educate the entire church about how your church does missions both locally and globally. Invite missionaries your church supports and local ministries you partner with to set up booths.

*Community Easter Egg Hunt- Provide kids’ music, candy-filled eggs, snacks and a puppet show about the meaning of Easter. Distribute bookmarks or refrigerator magnets that list weekly and special events for kids. Don’t forget to invite everyone to Easter worship.

*1-2-3 Serve!- Each small group in the church plans a servant evangelism project on the same Saturday, blitzing the entire community with good works in Jesus’ name.

*Friend Day: Encourage every member to bring an unchurched friend to worship.

*Car-Care Clinic- Enlist the help of some men in your church to set up a free oil and lube change and general car maintenance operation at your church for the single moms and widows in your community.

*Stop & Pray Day- On May 1, National Day of Prayer, use an outside banner to invite the community to come inside and pray. Play background music, light some candles and provide a simple prayer guide, sign-in-book and printed invitation to worship.

*School’s Out Celebrations- Host three last-day-of-school parties. Elementary kids’ ice cream party, middle school pizza party and treasure hunt; high school sand volleyball tournament and Christian concert. Provide a summer calendar of church events for each age group.

*Welcome Wagon- Deliver welcome baskets to people who move into your community. Include baked goods or pantry items, information about your church, as well as coupons to local businesses. The Chamber of Commerce can provide you with the names and addresses of people who recently have relocated to your area.

*Be Festive- As a church, participate in the town’s annual fair or festival. Wear church T-shirts and have fun. Make a parade float, host a diaper changing station or offer to be the cleanup crew.

*Neighborhood Cookout- Encourage church members or small groups to host a neighborhood cookout one Saturday and invite their neighbors to church.

*Cool Comfort- Open your facility to those in the community who may not have air conditioning. Provide play areas for moms with young kids. Set up a workspace for college students with free Wi-Fi access. The summer heat is especially dangerous for seniors. Providing a cool place for them to spend their days may even save a life. You may need to arrange transportation to and from their homes.

*Student Camp Sendoff- Members of an adult Bible class select a camper, prepare a snack bag for the trip, and pray for them that week.

*Outdoor Concert- Invite the entire community to a free outdoor concert on the church lawn.

*All-Church Picnic- Plan a fun-filled day of food, games and fellowship.

*VBS. Vacation Bible School is an enormous outreach. Visit LifeWay.com/vbs for ideas.

*Middle School Summit- Incoming middle school students and their parents rotate through 10-minute topical classes taught by church youth leaders and Christians who teach or work in local middle schools. Afterward, kids have a party and parents eat out together.

*Back-to-School Backpacks- Partner with a local school or shelter and donate backpacks filled with school supplies to school-age children whose families need financial assistance.

*Move It- Recruit volunteers to wear church T-shirts and help with move-in day at your local college. Invite students to Sunday worship and a homemade lunch in their honor.

*Snacks for Teacher Workday* Bible study classes or small groups select a local school, prepare and deliver baskets of snacks with a note of thanks and a prayer for the upcoming school year.

*First Day, Moms Pray- Host a tea for moms just after they drop their kids off for the first day of school. Seat them by school or child’s grade level for fellowship. Pray for the moms and the children. Provide a list of church activities and worship times.

*Adopt an International Student- A majority of international students who come to the U.S. to study are never invited into an American home. Work with your local university to host an international student throughout the year. Pick them up at the airport when they arrive. Invite them to dinner once a month and spend time with them during the holidays.

*“Meet the Teacher” Sunday- Kids invite their schoolteacher, principal, cafeteria worker, etc., and sit by them in worship. Pray for them during church and honor them with a brief milk and cookies fellowship afterward.

*Singles Dream Team- About one-third of adults in your town are single. Form a top-notch team to pray and plan multiple small groups, events and ministries for singles. Kick off with a single adult retreat.

*New Members Fellowship- Host a bi-annual or quarterly event for new church members to help them feel welcome and make friends.

*Minister Appreciation Week- Ask members and attenders to send a note of appreciation to the pastor(s) during the first week of October.

*Stock the Pantry- Ask members to donate non-perishables to your church’s food pantry or a local food bank.

*Pumpkinpalooza- Display an invitation banner and gobs of pumpkins outside. Kids under 12 pick a pumpkin, decorate it and take it home. Take family photos and invite guests to pick them up on Sunday.

*Citywide Thanksgiving Art Exhibit- In early fall, begin to solicit entries from church members, friends, local artists, art clubs and classes. Using any medium, artists illustrate a Thanksgiving theme. Deadline is end of October, and art is displayed in the church lobby throughout November.

*Election Day- Before voting day, each Bible study class selects one elected position such as Sheriff or City Commissioner. The group purchases a Bible, highlights favorite Scriptures, and delivers it immediately after the election with a note promising prayer for that leader.

*Baptism Sunday- Invite people who want to become a Christian, and believers who have never been baptized to sign up for a big baptism Sunday. Provide printed and e-invitations for their family and friends.

*Missions Parade- Emphasize international missions with a simple international parade during worship. Have children march around the worship center during a mission-themed song carrying miniature flags of the nations.

*Digital Thanks- Members submit one photo and a two-word description of something for which they’re thankful. Show a media presentation of the photos before and after the service.